Generally, a patient lift (also variously referred to as a patient hoist, jack hoist or hydraulic lift) may be either a sling lift or a sit-to-stand lift. These devices generally allow caregivers in hospitals and nursing homes to transfer patients between various sitting and standing positions using hydraulic power.
Sling lifts are used for patients whose mobility is very limited. These are variously designed as mobile lifts or overhead lifts (suspended from ceiling-mounted or overhead tracks). Sit-to-stand lifts are designed to help patients who have some mobility but who lack the strength or muscle control to rise to a standing position. These lifts use a system of straps, vests, or belts (as opposed to slings) to make the transition possible.
Most current lift units are designed to be able to pick up a patient in a sling and then move them from one hospital room to another using the wheels on the bottom of the legs. These lifts are effective in a hospital or nursing home setting, but their large size and weight along with their use of wheels for rotation and motion make them fairly ineffective in a home setting with tight walkways and carpet. The inability to mobilize patients at home is one of the primary reasons that patients find it necessary to leave the home environment and enter a nursing home when they become temporarily or permanently disabled.